Pages

Wednesday, July 02, 2014

No such revenge - revenge for the blood of a little child - has yet been devised by Satan

Netanyahu's statement on the Horrible Crime, with its line about Satan and vengeance for murdered children, directed me to this fine poem by Chaim Nachmun Bialik, written when Jews were weak, and held no political or military power. Times have changed. We're the over-dogs now, by the grace of God, and with that new status comes new and important responsibilities

On The Slaughter

Heaven, beg mercy for me! If there isa God in you, a pathway throughyou to this God - which I have notdiscovered - then pray for me! For myheart is dead, no longer is there prayeron my lips; all strength is gone, andhope is no more. Until when, howmuch longer, until when?

You, executioner! Here's my neck - goto it, slaughter me! Behead me like adog, yours is the almighty arm and theaxe, and the whole earth is my scaffold- and we, we are the few! My blood isfair game - strike the skull, andmurder's blood, the blood of nurslingsand old men, will spurt onto yourclothes and will never, never be wipedoff.

And if there is justice - let it showitself at once! But if justice show itselfafter I have been blotted out frombeneath the skies - let its throne behurled down forever! Let heaven rotwith eternal evil! And you, the arrogant,go in this violence of yours, live byyour bloodshed and be cleansed by it.

And cursed be the man who says:Avenge! No such revenge - revenge forthe blood of a little child - has yet beendevised by Satan. Let the blood piercethrough the abyss! Let the blood seepdown into the depths of darkness, andeat away there, in the dark, and breach

If it relates to Jews, Judaism, holidays, Midrash,Torah, halacha or anything similar, I probably have a post on it. And if I have a post on it, I probably have a good comment thread with great reader-provided information, too.

Try a search and see for yourself. If you can't find what you're looking for ask me.

Quotes

רֹאשׁ דְּבָרְךָ אֱמֶת קוֹרֵא מֵרֹאשׁ דּוֹר וָדוֹר עַם דּוֹרֶשְׁךָ דְּרֹשׁ
Your chief word is "truth"; You've called it out since the beginning. In each generation people interpret You [for themselves] and find [their own] meaning.

You shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you odd. -Flannery O'Connor

“When in the afterglow of religious insight I can see a way that is good for all humans as it is for me—I will know it is His way.” - R. Abraham Joshua Heschel

I don't accept at all the quite popular argument that the press is responsible for the monarchy's recent troubles. The monarchy's responsible for the monarchy's recent troubles. To blame the press is the old thing of blaming the messenger for the message. -Anthony Holden

Said behind my back

"...he's trying to show that there are other facets to Orthodox Judaism. That we don't all think one way and vote one way. And he's occasionally entertaining when he's not being mean-spirited" [PsychoToddler]"

"He's witty. He's funny. He appreciates the ridiculous in life, and has no qualms about telling you when he thinks that you're being a moron" [Cara]

" I'm pretty sure [DovBear] is a really great guy who just wants to be able to ask questions and talk about things without the fear of someone claiming he's off the derech or on his way there." [Chaviva]